Drying apparatus.



E. I. CUTTER.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1916.

Patented May 28,191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

niili; r

E. I CUTTER.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1916.

1,267,748. f Patented May 28, 1918.

j g 2 SHEETS-$HEET Z- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD I. CUTTER, OF NORWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DRYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 19, 1916. Serial No. 104,545.

7 '0 (iii whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD;I. CUTTER, citizen of the United States, residing at Norwood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drying apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for drying clothes, fabrics or other materials or articles, embodying a rotary cyhnder for holdihg the clothes, a fan or fans for circulating hot air over the clothes, and screens for separating the dust and but from the ai current.

The object of the invention is to provide drying apparatus in which the greater part of the air is circulated repeatedly over the clothes to be dried, and smaller part replaced continually by fresh air; which is more efiicient and economical and drles the clothes more rapidly than similar apparatus now in use; which gives the operator convenient access to the screens and screen ng chamber for easily and thoroughly cleaning the same; and WhlCh economlzes space in the workroom.

Further objects of the invention are 1n part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, which illustrate one preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a sectional elevation on the line 1-1, Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower front portion of the apparatus; and Fig. 3 1s a horizontal section on the line 33, Fig. 1.

The drying apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a suitable outer casing 1 1nclosing and protecting the mechanism and confining the heated air until it is discharged. Within the upper portion of said casing is a hollow supplemental casing 2 forming a drying chamber 3 in which is a hollow drum or cylinder 4 for holding the clothes, said drum being of open or cage like construction such' as by forming itof wire screen, for thorou circulation of the hot air therethroug and being mounted on shaft members e journaled 1n the ends of the casing and adapted to be rotated in any suitable manner. To insert and remove the material to be dried the drum 4 is provided with a hinged door or cover 5 which can be brought opposite an opening in the casing 2 which is closed by a door or cover 6 on the outer casing, as will be readily understood.

In the rear portion of the casing is a vertical wall 7 forming with the rear wall 8 of the casing a heating chamber 9 communicating through a passage 10 and opening 11 with the chamber 3. In said heating chamber are a series of pipe coils 12 supplied with steam or any suitable heating medium around which air is irculated by one or more fans or pumps 13, two being shown, which are located below the casing 2 in a fan chamber 14 into. which the air inlets of said fans open, both fans delivering iheair through flaring outlets 15 into the lower portion of the heating chamber, in which are located one or several deflectors 16 to distribute the air current and direct it upwardly around pipes 12.

In front of the fans is a separating chamber 17 having one or more doors 17 on the front wall of the casing convenient for access by the operator and when open exposing the entire chamber from end to end. These doors or the outer walls of the chamber are provided with one or more screened openings 18 through which external air flows to said chamber and thence into the fan chamber to be pumped through the apparatus. In the chamber 17 are also located one or several screens19 below an opening 20 into the upper portion of said chamber dust and lint from the used air current and thoroughly filter it before it is again passed through the system. Screens 19 may be of any suitable form but preferably are removable through the front of the casin by opening the door 17. Consequently 0th the screens and screening chamber may be easily and thoroughly cleaned from the front of the apparatus, which enables a series of like machines to be placed end to end in close order or a single machine to be placed in a confinedspace Where it would be impossible to remove the screens from the end of the machine. Also, by locating the screen chamber in advance of the tan the dust and lint is not circulated through the fan, thereby protecting the fan from Wear and possible injury.

in the upper portion of the chamber l? is another screen 24 which is mounted and may be removed in like manner With the screens 19. This screen is below an outlet 25 from one or both ends of the machine and filters that portion of the air current discharged from the machine.

ln operation the clothes or other material to be dried are tumbled around by rotation of the drum l. llhe fans draw in air through the openings 18 and force the air around the pipes 9 in the heating chamber, Where it is heated and passes through the channel 10 to the drying chamber and over the clothes. Part of the air issuing through the opening 20 passes through screen 24, is filtered thereby and discharged into the open air. The remainder of the air passes down- Wardly and is filtered by screens 19 and joins the incoming fresh air current to be again passed through the apparatus. The inlet openings 18 and outlet 25 are of comparatively small area and will allow only a limited flow of air therethrough, a quantity which is materially less than the capacity of the fans. Therefore the greater part of the air is circulated repeatedly through the apparatus which increases the efi'iciency, and reduces the running cost and time of operation.

- chamber for filtering the air current passing to the pump, and an inlet to and an outlet from said screening chamber open to the atmosphere.

2. Drying apparatus comprising a casing, a drying chamber in the upper portion of said casing, a heating chamber behind the drying chamber, a pump located below the drying chamber, and a screening chamber communicating With the air inlet to said pump and located at the front of the casing, and removable filtering screens in said screening chamber, said screening chamber having an air inlet of less area than said pump inlet.

3, Drying apparatus, comprising a casing, a drying chamber in the upper portion ct said casln'g, a heating chamber behind the drying chamber, a pump located below the drying chamber, and a screening chamber communicating with the air inlet to said pump and located at the front at the casing, and horizontally disposed filtering screens in said screening chamber removable through its front Wall, said screening chamber hav ing an air inlet and outlet of less capacity than said pump'to cause repeated circulation of the air through the apparatus.

in testimony whereot l afix my signature.

EDWARD lid 

